The 2013 Tour de France has seen all kinds of fanfare, triumphs, upsets, and controversies during two excruciating weeks of racing through the unimaginably difficult terrains of France. Now, with just six stages remaining in this year's tour, it ultimately boils down to one thing: winning it all.
Chris Froome of Team Sky has been nothing short of remarkable throughout the Tour. Aside from taking a 4:14 lead at the top of the General Classification standings, the Brit also made history. On Sunday, Froome became the first Brit to win the fearsome Mont Ventoux stage, and at the same time, replicated the feat by the great Eddy Merckx, who won the mountain stage of the world's greatest biking race while wearing the yellow jersey in 1970.
Despite doping allegations, Froome has remained focussed on his goal of winning his first Tour de France championship, but the road ahead is still filled with traps, and one wrong turn could quickly change the complexion of the race.
Stage 16
Vaison-la-Romaine to Gap, 168 km (104.4 mi)
After the second and final day of rest, riders are set to take on the 168 kilometer mountain stage to Gap, the capital city of the Haute-Alpes department. Like Sunday's race, it will be another toe-to-toe battle between the General Classification contenders with climbers like Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador, Bauke Mollema, Lauren ten Dam and Froome looking to attack the arduous climb. Though it's basically a transition stage between the Mont Ventoux Stage and another mountainous battle at Alpe d'Huez on Stage 18, vigilance is needed in this stage because of the series of uphill and downhill terrains.
TV Schedule, Streaming and Additional Information
NBC Sports Coverage of the 2013 Tour de France is scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m. EST. Online Streaming will be available on NBC Sports Extra*.
The General Classification standings of the race is available on the Tour de France 2013 website.
TSM will supply live online links or go to the Sports Authority FB Group for live Tour de France streaming links and forums.
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